In truth, wine has benefits

Lynda Shrager

Published 1:40 pm, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

I admittedly enjoy a glass of wine on a more regular basis these days. My "personal research" confirms the less-than-scientific observations of friends and family that the love for wine increases as we mature. Back in the "kids running around, homework needed to get done, car pool could pop up at anytime" days, it never occurred to me to relax with a weekday glass of cabernet. I've since discovered it's one of the nice perks of being an empty nester. Of course you know I wouldn't encourage anything that didn't come with some health benefits.

A recent study reported in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery looked at resveratrol, a compound found in red wine that is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Michael Seidman, the study's lead author, has published several papers on resveratrol and he believes that it "may protect against the inflammatory processes associated with hearing loss, cognition and aging". Although these were animal studies, results indicated that "by giving animals resveratrol, we can reduce the amount of hearing and cognitive decline". My dog prefers a chilled chardonnay, which could explain why she does not listen as well as in the past.

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluated more than 12,000 women aged 70-81 and found that moderate drinkers (one drink a day) had a 23 percent reduced risk of mental decline compared with nondrinkers.

Red wine has long been touted as a heart-healthy beverage with the antioxidants possibly helping to prevent heart disease by increasing levels of "good" cholesterol or HDL. These antioxidants, called polyphenols, may protect the lining of the blood vessels in the heart. Resveratrol, a polyphenol, "may be the key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) and prevent blood clots," according to experts at the Mayo Clinic. They are quick to point out that most of the research has been done on animals, mainly mice (there's some very happy mice out there). The mice studies have also shown that resveratrol may protect against obesity and diabetes, strong risk factors for heart disease.

While touted as a beverage with health benefits, Dr. Eric Rimm, a Harvard researcher, cautions that red wine is not as abundant in antioxidants as we think. Rimm said it's better to eat a spinach salad with vegetables if you want antioxidants (they also have zero points on Weight Watchers!) and that "the research evidence points to ethanol, or the alcohol component of beer, wine or spirits as the substrate that can increase HDL and lower LDL.

Doctors generally don't recommend alcohol consumption for therapeutic benefits, as they worry that we will take this as an invitation to overdo it. Clearly, too much alcohol can have harmful aspects on all areas of our lives. So Mom's Rx:

Drink responsibly and never drink and drive

Carefully portion your alcohol, just as we do with food

One drink consists of either 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer and 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits, such as vodka

Dr.Arthur Agatston, creator of the South Beach diet, encourages us to have alcohol along with meals, as it can "slow the stomach's emptying and potentially decrease the amount of food consumed."